Stop motion device for pile fabric looms



Sept 4, 194-5. '5 VAN HEEK 2,384,357

STOP MOTION DEVICE FOR PILE FABRIC LOOMS Filed March 14, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet l Is M m INVENTOR. THEODORE VAN HfiEK ATTORNEY @pfit. 4 3%45. V EK 2,384,357

STOP MOTION DEVICE FOR FILE FABRIC LOOMS Filed March 14, 1945 v 3 Shets-Sheet 2 w T. VAN HEEK 2,384,357

STOP MOTION DEVICE FOR PILE FABRIC LOOMS Filed March 14, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 JNVENTO THEODORE VAN Patented Sept. 4, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Theodore Van Heck, Palisade, N. J.

Application March 14, 1945, Serial No. 582,629

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in Stop motion devices for pile fabric looms.

In conventional pile fabric looms two layers of fabric connected together by pile threads are fed forwardly and guided between conventional fabric guide-bars into contact with a laterally movable cutting element guided by a fixed guide bar, disposed parallel to the fabric-guide bars and spaced forwardly from said fabric guide-bars. The cutting element so guided cuts the pile threads and the marginal selvedge sleeves are also cut by additional cutting elements to produce two independent pieces of velvet with selvedges at opposite side edges thereof.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a stop-motion mechanism which will be actuated by a change in the normally-guided angular position of one of the layers of finished fabric as it is fed between and through spaced fabric guide bars.

My invention is based on the observation that a failure of the layer-severing knife to cut the pile threads will cause a change in the normally guided angular position of the fabric adjacent to the guide-bars and the discovery that a detector member and a stop-motion mechanism may be employed to detect such angular displacement and to operate an electric circuit adapted to stop the machine in case of such failure of the pileseverlng knife for any reason whatsoever, to cut the pile threads.

Another object of my invention is to provide a stop motion device operable by a detector member applied to the fabric per se which will be operative to stop the machine in case the travel of uncut cloth reaches a predetermined positionforwardly of the guide-bars and before a tearing contact with a spaced knife guiding bar can occur.

Another object of my invention is to provide a detector device movable by any change in position of the fabric per se that will operate speedily to prevent further forward feeding movement of an unsevered fabric and thus avoid a tearing engagement of the fabric with a knife guiding-bar.

Still another object of my invention is to provide, in combination with a device of the character hereinabove described, a supplementary stop-motion mechanism adapted to stop the machine in case the double fabric shrinks or contracts for any reason beyond given limits. Such shrinking or contraction may be caused, for example, by the tearing, as distinguished from the normal cutting or severing of either one of the selvedge sleeves into which temple members are inserted to retain the fabric in properly stretched condition so as to maintain substantial alignment of the fabric threads with the spaces or dents in conventional reed members of the loom, it being understood that in looms of the type under consideration, the threads of the fabric pass through slits or dents" formed between thin flexible metal slats of the reed member and that excessive shrinkage .or contraction of the fabric will damage the reed members of the loom. It isthus desirable to maintain substantially true alignment of the opposite edges of the fabric or cloth to keep the same in properly stretched condition and in position to be properly severe by the cutting'elements for the selvedge sleeve.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined as to coact and cooperate with each other in the performance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprises in one of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a view in plan of the layer-severing section of a pile-fabric loom showing in plan my stop motion mechanisms applied to the upper layer of velvet fabric;

Fig. 1 is a. fragmentary section on the line l -I of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing in end elevation a. stop motion part when the device is in electrical disconnected position due to the severing and separation of the fabric layer on which it is mounted;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing in side elevation, partly in section, one of my stop-motion mechanisms in the electrical-disconnected position of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section similar to Fig. 2 showing the position of one of the stop motion parts shown in Fig. 2 when the pile threads remain unsevered during a forward feeding movement of the fabric to cause an electrical-contact of the stop motion mechanism to stop the machine;

Fig. 5 is a section on'the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the position of one of the stop-motion devices in machine-stopping position;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, and showshowing the aligning terminal in disengaged posi tion;

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-8 of Fig. 7 showing the sleeve-severing means;

Fig. 10 is a section on the line IU-IO of F18. 7.

showing the terminal of my aligning stop-motion in machine-stopping position when the fabric and temples mounted thereon are moved out of alignment to one side;

Fig. 11 is a section similar to Fig. 10 showing the stop motion terminal in machine-stopping position when the fabric is moved out of alignment to the opposite side;

Fig. 12 is a section through the terminal portions of my combined stop-motion mechanisms on the line I2I2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic view showing the electric circuits of my combined stop motion mechanisms.

Referring now to these drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I (Fig. 1) indicates a double fabric comprising upper and lower layers 2 and 3 of fabric which are initially connected together by pile threads 4 and are adapted when severed from each other to form two independent layers or pieces of velvet fabric 2 and 3, respectively. The double fabric, so connected together by pile threads, is provided at opposite sides with selvedge sleeves I, as will be seen from an examination of Figs. 9, 10 and 11. These opposite sleeves extend over spaced members 8-8 mounted on a floating temple-bar I adjustable as to length, as shown in Figs. 1, l, 6 and 8, and having a floating connection by straps 8 and 9, respectively, with the top member III of a pair of horizontally-mounted fabric-guide bars I and I I between which the double fabric is fed for separation of the two layers by the severance of the pile threads 4. This severance is accomplished, during the forward feeding movement of the double fabric, by a horizontally-movable knife I2 mounted in a holder II reciprocably movable along a fixed guide member I4, which is spaced longitudinally from the guide bars I0 and II and extends in spaced parallel relationship thereto.

As illustrated. the knife I2 first passes over a honing member II and then moves horizontally to cut the pile threads between the two layers of the double fabric, which. as aforesaid, during the forward feeding movement thereof are guided by the upper andglower guide bars I0 and II and severs the pile threads which hold said two layers of fabric together. The severance of such layers produces two independent layers of velvet fabric with the severed pile threads on one face of each, or, in other words, a velvet cloth is produced, and in conventional machines these independent velvet cloth pieces are separated from each other by vertically-spaced upper and lower rollers R, R, see Figs. 1 and 2.

It has heretofore frequently happened in these machines that the layer-severing knife, for one reason or another, has failed to cut the pile threads and when this happens, the normal feeding of the double fabric material so uncut will within a short time interval engage the stationary rigid guide-bar for the knife, thus resulting in a tearing as distinguished from a cutting of the fabric layers from each other. In such cases,

III)

considerable portions of the double fabric and/or of thevelvet cloth are ruined. Also, when such contingencies arise operators who attend to several machines have been unable to stop the machine in order to save the fabric before considerable damage is done, and furthermore when a machine is stopped after such damage to the fabric it is necessary to do considerable work in order properly to re-position the fabric within the guide members and to align the same.

'35! the use of my invention, I detect the failure of the velvet fabric layers to separate into independent-layers and stop the machine to avoid the above tearing. Thus, in the event of the failure of the knife for any reason to sever the two layers of fabric the layers will not separate and I stop the machine before any damage or tearing of the fabric is done.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I also provide means for stopping the machine in the event, for any reason, the fabric shrinks or contracts so that the edges are moved out of normal properly aligned position in which the selvedge sleeves will be properly cut and the threads of the fabric will be retained in substantial alignment with the dents in the conventional reed member of the loom.

To accomplish these ends I provide a stop motion mechanism operable by the failure of one of the fabric layers of the double fabric after the fabric passes the line in which it should be severed, to assume its independent proper angularly-guided position at the outer side of the line of severance which is closely adjacent to or coincides with the forward edge of the guide-bars I0 and II. Such failure of a layer to assume its angularly-guided independent position would. of course, occur in the event of the failure to sever the pile threads, and in order to detect such a failure, I mount one of my stop-motion mechanisms on one of the fabric guiding-bars at the forward side or edge thereof and employ, in combination therewith, an angle-detecting element arranged directly in contact with one of the said layers. This detector is consequently arranged on an independent layer adjacent to the line along which the layer-severing knife cuts the two layers of fabric during the feeding movement thereof. Normally, after severance of the fabric layers along said line of severance the independent fabric layers are guided by the rollers R and R to extend in paths angularly-inclined relatively to each other and to the former path of feeding movement of the double-layered material.

.In accordance with the preferred form of my invention, I mount one electrically-connected terminal I5 on a fixed guide-bar I0 and utilize a detector member in direct contact with one of the two inclined severed fabrics, and preferably with the upper fabric. This detector member is operatlvely-connected with a movable terminal I! of machine-stopping electric circuit and is preferably in the form of a roller I6 which, during normal movement of the fabric layer, is always retained in elevated position to hold the circuit-closing terminals apart. This member I6 is, as shown, mounted on a lever I8 suitably pivoted intermediate its ends at I8 and its opposite end comprises the movable terminal II adapted, in the event that said roller is depressed because of the failure of the knife to cut the pile threads, tomove upwardly and make a contact with a stationary terminal I5. This contact operates a suitable circuit to stop the machine. I have found that in the normal feeding movement of the double fabric it takes approximately one minute to move between the line of normal severance and the edge of the knife guiding member, and I have found that in the event of the change of angularity because of the failure to sever, my stop motion device takes less than nine seconds to cause contact to be made and the machine to be completely stopped. When this is done, the adjustments necessary to put the machine again in operation are relatively simple and no tearing of either layer of the fabric occurs.

In the embodiment of my invention shown, the stationary terminal 15 comprises the end of a strip of metal 20 mounted upon a base plate 2| suitably fastened to the guide bar 10. The member 2| is in one leg of a suitable electric circuit indicated by the wire 22 but which may be obtained by a mere grounding of the machine. The lever [B is mounted in electrical contact with the base plate 2| so that the movable terminal 11 at one end thereof is in such electrical contact through its bearing l1 with the said base plate or grounded machine. On the other hand, the strip 20 is in electrical contact with a circuit represented by the wire 23 and is insulated by a plate of insulation 24 from the base plate 2|. When, therefore, the roller 16 which is positioned on the lever l8 on the side opposite the pivot l8 opposite to the terminal 11 is lowered, the terminal will be raised into contact with the stationary contact member l5 to complete the circuit and stop the machine. In the embodiment illustrated the said roller I6 is mounted on the short arm 18 of the lever 18 and operates by gravity to move the opposite terminal end of the lever 11 into contact as aforesaid. however, any suitable means may be employed to keep the detector member 16 in contact with either of the independent layers of the fabric 2 and 3, respectively, and when and if the angular position thereof is changed by the failure of the knife 12 to cut the pile threads, the detector member may be actuated to complete a circuit and stop the machine.

It is also desirable to stop the machine in the event that the fabric shrinks, contracts or shifts out of true alignment in its feeding movement to one side or the other, and to accomplish this result I mount upon the temple bar 1 conventionally employed in these machines a pair of spaced terminals 25 and 26 movable with the fabric and utilize these terminals in combination with a stationary terminal 21 mounted on the guide-bar l0 and preferably comprising a part of the insulated strip 20. The temple bar 1 in the embodiment shown comprises right and left sections 24', 24 connected together and floatably mounted on the fabric per se. The terminals 25 and 26 are positioned in such spaced relationship as to cause contact with the stationary terminal 21 and thus to stop the machine in the event of the disalignment of the fabric to any appreciable degree exceeding the normal limits of adjustment. To this end, the pair of terminals 25 and 26 are arranged in the leg of the circuit 22 and are spaced-from each other a given distance while the "fixed terminal 21 is connected in the leg of the circuit 23 and is mounted on the guide bar lllto extend between the spaced movable terminals so as to cooperate with either of such spaced terminals. As shown, the terminal 21 is part of the insulated strip 20 hereinabove referred to. In the event that the fabric material shrinks or contracts or shifts so that the selvedged sleeves Obviously,

at one of the opposite edges moves toward the other, or in the event of the failure of the sleeve engaging portions to hold the fabric in proper stretched and aligned condition-either because of the tearing, as distinguished from cutting, of one of said sleeves or otherwise, contact will be made and the machine will be stopped. Such shrinkage, contraction or shifting is usually due to said tearing, as distinguished from cutting, of one of the selvedge sleeves.

It will be understood that a slight amount of contraction, shrinkage or shifting may be allowable, but, in the event of any excessive amount of shifting, the threads of the fabric material which normally run longitudinally and parallel-with the line of movement and with the edges of the loom will be moved to extend on a bias from such line and edges, and thus will damage the conventional reed member of the loom, identified in Fig. 1 by the word Reed. These longitudinal threads pass through slits or dents formed between thin flexible metal slats mounted in a frame to form said reed member and consequently such excessive shrinkage, contraction or disalignment of the fabric either to the right or left will" damage said reed member. It is, therefore, necessary to keep the fabric properly stretched and its longitudinal threads in a position in proper alignment with the edges of the loom.

It will be seen from the above that the fixed terminal on the guide bars is insulated from the loom in the leg 23 of the circuit while the, movable terminals are connected through the straps 8 and 9 with the other leg 22. Any conventional means may be used for actuatingthe loom-stopping mechanism, and, as shown in the diagrammatic view, Fig. 13, the leg 22 of the circuit-extends to a wire 29 connected to one side of the battery B while the other side is connected by wire 30 with the solenoid 28, Thus when contact is made between the terminal 25 and 21 or "and 21 the circuit thus completed will operate a' solenoid 28 so that upon such shifting to one side=or the other of the fabric the loom will beimmediately stopped.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A stop motion device for pile-fabric looms including means for severing a double fabric into independent velvet layers and guide-bars for guiding feeding movement of said double fabric v during severance thereof, embodying, in combination, an electric circuit, a source of current supply, means operable by said circuit for stoppin the said loom, a stationary contact terminal in said circuit mounted on a fixed part of the said pile-fabric loom, a movable contact terminal also mounted on the loom, said terminals being electrically insulated from each other and means contacting directly with the fabric and operable by an abnormal change of position thereof to move one of said terminal contacts in relation to the other to operate said circuit and stop the loom.

2. A stop motion device for pile-fabric looms including means for severing a double fabric-into independent velvet layers and guide-bars for guiding feeding movement of said'double fabric during severance thereof, embodying, in combination, an electric circuit, a' source of current supply, means operable by said circuit for stopping the said loom, a stationary contact terminal'in said circuit mounted on a fixed part of the said pile fabric loom, a movable contact terminal also mounted on the loom, said terminals being electrically insulated from each other, and a detector member actuated by the change of position of one of the layers of severed fabric for moving one of said terminal contacts in relation to the other to operate said circuit and stop the loom.

3. A stop motion device for pile-fabric looms including means for severing a double fabric into independent velvet layers and guide-bars for guiding feeding movement of said double fabric during severance thereof, embodying, in combination, an electric circuit, a source of current supply. means operable by said circuit for stopping the said loom, a stationary contact terminal in said circuit mounted on a fixed part of the said pile fabric loom, a movable contact terminal also mounted on the loom, said terminals being'electrically insulated from each other, and a detector member actuated by the change of position of one of the layers of severed fabric for moving one of said terminal contacts in relation to the other to operate said circuit and stop the loom, said detector member comprising a roller contacting with the surface of one of the layers of fabric and adapted to be moved in case the angularity of the position of the fabric is changed by failure of the severing means to cut the pile threads between a double fabric and the feeding through the guide bars for a predetermined distance of the uncut pile fabric.

4. A stop motion device for pile-fabric looms including means for severing a double fabric into independent velvet layers and guide-bars for guiding feeding movement of said double fabric during severance thereof, embodying, in combination, an electric circuit, a source of current supply, means operable by said circuit for stoppin the said loom, a stationary contact terminal in said circuit mounted on a fixed part of the said pile-fabric loom. a movable contact terminal also mounted on the loom, said terminals being electrically insulated from each other, and a detector member actuated by the change of position of one of the layers of severed fabric for moving one of said terminal contacts in relation to the other to operate said circuit and stop the loom,

said detector member comprising a lever arm provided with a roller contacting with the surface of the fabric and adapted to be depressed in case the angular position of the cloth is changed relatively to the guide-bars by failure to cut the pile threads of the fabric and the passage through the guide-bars for a predetermined distance of the uncut double fabric, and cooperating movable and stationary terminals mounted respectively on a stationary part of the loom and on a member iioatably connected on the fabric and adapted, upon a shifting out of alignment in either direction of the fabric, to move relatively to operate said circuit and to stop the loom.

5. A stop motion device for pile-fabric looms including means for severing a double fabric into independent velvet layers and guide-bars for guiding feeding movement of said double fabric during severance thereof, embodying, in comblriation, an electric circuit, a source of current supply, means operable by said circuit for stopping the said loom, a stationary contact terminal in said circuit mounted on a fixed part of the said pile fabric loom, a movable contact terminal also mounted on the loom, said terminals being electrically insulated from each other, and a detector member actuated by the change of position of one of the layers of severed fabric for moving one of said terminal contacts in relation to the other to operate said circuit and stop the loom, said detector member comprising an actuating lever pivoted between its ends and provided at one side of the pivot with an actuating detector and at the otherside with a terminal arm, said detector being adapted to contact with the face of the fabric and to be depressed in the event of the failure of the contacted portion of the fabric to be cut, whereby the terminal end of said lever will be raised and moved into engagement with said fixed terminal to complete the circuit and stop the loom.

6. A stop motion device for pile-fabric looms including means for severing a double fabric into independent velvet layers and guide-bars for guiding feeding movement of said double fabric during severance thereof, embodying, in combination, an electric circuit, a source of current supply, means operable by said circuit for stop-- ping the said loom, a stationary contact terminal in said circuit mounted on a fixed part of the said pile-fabric loom, a movable contact terminal also mounted on the loom, said terminals being electrically insulated from each other, and a detector member actuated by the change of position of one of the layers of severed fabric for moving one of said terminal contacts in relation to the other to operate said circuit and stop the loom, said detectormembe comprising a roller mounted on a lever pivoted between its ends and adapted, under normal operating conditions of the loom, to roll along and to be held in elevated position by a severed fabric but to cause, by the weight of the roller, a depression when an unsevered portion of the fabric is encountered thereby and which will thereupon move said movable terminal into contacting position with said fixed terminal to actuate said circuit and to stop the loom.

7. A stop motion device for pile fabric looms embodying, in combination, an electriccircuit, a source'of current supply, means operable by said circuitfor stopping the said loom, a stationary contact terminal in said circuit mounted on a fixed part of the said pile fabric loom, another contact floatably mounted on the surface of the fabric, said terminals being electrically insulated from each other and said fioatably-mounted contact terminal being adapted to move into contacting position with the other contact terminal upon a shrinkage, contraction or shifting relatively of one edge of the fabric in relation to the other and ply, means operable by said circuit for stopping.

the said loom, a stationary contact terminal in said circuit mounted on a fixed part of the said pile-fabric loom, another contact terminal mounted upon said conventional fioatably mounted temple bar, said terminals being electrically insulated from each other, and said floatably mounted contact terminal being adapted to move into contacting position with the other contact terminal upon a shrinkage, contraction or shifting relatively of one edge of the fabric in relation to the other and to operate said circuit and stop the loom.

9. A stop motion device for pile-fabric looms including means for severing a double fabric into independentvelvet layers and guide-bars for guiding feeding movement of said double fabric during severance thereof, embodying. in combination, an electric circuit, a source of current supply, means operable by said circuit for stopping the said machine, a stationary contact termchine; said detector members being positioned at the forward side of the guide-bars and between such fabric guide-bars and guide-bars for the severing element to enable the stopping of the machine before the unsevered fabric in its normal forward motion reaches the guide-bar for the severing element. THEODORE VAN HEEK. 

